Inside these posts: for-profit education

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Former Kaplan dean guilty in e-mail threats case

By Andy Grimm | A former Kaplan Inc. dean was found guilty Friday of sending threatening and harassing e-mail messages to company executives, staff and students.

A federal jury found former Ben Wilcox, 45, of River Forest, guilty on each of six counts in connection with profane messages he allegedly sent from a hacked e-mail account following his firing in 2007.

Wilcox’s attorneys maintained Wilcox was framed by Kaplan in retaliation for filing a federal whistle-blower lawsuit claiming Kaplan executives engaged in widespread fraud at their for-profit universities. The jury of five men and seven women deliberated for more than seven hours. Get the full story »

Kaplan Higher Ed laying off workers

Washington Post Co.’s Kaplan Higher Education unit said it would be laying off about 5 percent of its work force, about 770 jobs, as it tries to strategically reduce enrollments of students less likely to repay their loans. About 185 of the positions are in Chicago, Crain’s Chicago Business reported. Get the full story »

DeVry says fall student starts drop at some colleges

For-profit education provider DeVry Inc. said fall 2010 new student enrollment declined at some of its colleges, hurt by lower demand. DeVry, along with other for-profit education companies, has been under fire from regulators and the Obama administration for saddling students with big debts and not fully preparing them for jobs. Get the full story »

Executives collect $2 billion at for-profit colleges

From Bloomberg | Top executives at the 15 U.S. publicly traded for-profit colleges, led by Apollo Group Inc. and Education Management Corp., received $2 billion during the last seven years from the proceeds of selling company stock, Securities and Exchange Commission filings show.

DeVry first-quarter profit up 35%

DeVry Inc.’s fiscal first-quarter profit jumped 35% as revenue improved, helping results beat expectations, but the company warned of falling enrollment in its undergraduate programs.

DeVry and other for-profit colleges have faced scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Education and members of Congress in recent months as they capture a growing share of federal student aid dollars.

A number of schools are already changing admissions standards and recruiting practices ahead of new regulations expected from the Education Department. DeVry, which offers programs ranging from certificates in dental assisting to MBAs, said that while it is monitoring potential new regulations and may need some adjustments down the line, it is confident about its existing programs. Get the full story »

DeVry warns of slowing enrollment growth

U.S. for-profit education companies DeVry Inc. and Capella Education Co. warned of slowing enrollment growth in the face of an uncertain regulatory environment.

The industry has come under fire from regulators and the Obama administration — and faces possible tougher rules — for saddling students with big debts and not fully preparing them for jobs. Get the full story »

New loan standards hit for-profit college stocks

U.S. education stocks tumbled Monday after Department of Education data on student loan repayments showed most for-profit schools would be ineligible for federal aid, spooking a sector concerned about increased regulatory scrutiny.

The S&P education services index dropped more than 6 percent to a 22-month low in an overall Nasdaq market that was up 0.4 percent. The sector saw blistering growth in much of last year as job seekers headed back to school to boost their employment prospects after the financial crisis. Get the full story »

Riehs to head reorganized DeVry unit

For-profit education provider DeVry Inc. said Friday that it appointed Steven P. Riehs president of K-12, Professional and International Education, starting Oct. 1.

Riehs will oversee a new organizational structure within DeVry that includes Advanced Academics, Becker Professional Education, DeVry Brasil and the company’s other international operations. Get the full story »

Senate scrutinizes DeVry, other for-profit colleges

Democratic senators sharply questioned Thursday whether for-profit colleges reaping huge amounts of federal aid dollars are delivering on promises to students and taxpayers.

The fast-growing for-profit college industry has faced increased scrutiny in recent months and is fighting greater government regulation, which it says will cut off access to education at the worst possible time. Get the full story »

DeVry, Career Education, Apollo Group stocks rise

From Bloomberg | Education stocks rose after the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that U.S. Education Deputy Undersecretary Robert Shireman will step down. Apollo, the biggest U.S. for-profit education provider, advanced 9.9 percent to $57.98, while Hoffman Estates-based Career Education Corp. jumped 8.7 percent to $31.35, and Oakbrook Terrace-based DeVry Inc. gained 4.9 percent to $62.03.

Get the full story: businessweek.com.